the heir and the spare
by Mein Liebling
Summary: You met when you were young. :: Regulus and Barty, young friendship.


_**you tell me you like to burn a bridge**_

 _ **that you always make mistakes like this**_

 _ **are you having fun?**_

.

* * *

.

You met when you were young.

Both of you were in too-stiff robes, the collar pulled up so high that it brushed against your and his cheeks. He looked to be about one second from pulling it away from his face, if his mother hadn't kept her hand on his shoulder to stop him. He wasn't too remarkable; a pointy face, like a Malfoy, blue eyes that were dull in the chandelier light, and his brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the back of his neck, too shiny to be natural. You wouldn't have noticed him at all if Mother hadn't pointed him out to Sirius.

"Him, there, yes. Bartimus Crouch Junior, heir to the Crouch family." Mother didn't seem to approving, or disapproving. "A year younger than Regulus, more than likely to be in his year."

Sirius picked at the imaginary lint on his sleeve. You knew he didn't do it on purpose, even though it did annoy Mother. You were felt like fidgeting yourself. "Slytherin?" Sirius guessed. Your brother was ten, you thought miserably, but at least you would join in him four years.

"Possibly, although his mother was a Ravenclaw." Mother sniffed. You knew she looked down on anyone not from Slytherin, which you didn't understand, since Lord Diggory was fairly kind and he was a Hufflepuff, but you never mentioned this in earshot of Mother.

"Reg, why don't you go talk to him?" Sirius asked, pushing you slightly in the small of your back, and you almost stumbled forward. "He's your age. Go make some friends."

You winced. "I don't think-" You started.

"Go on!" Sirius nudged you again, and Mother just watched on disapprovingly at Sirius's actions.

You tensed before you nodded, squaring your shoulders and heading towards Crouch. For someone younger than you, you noticed, he was quite unfairly taller than you by a good four or five inches. You stopped in front of him and his mother, and bowed.

"Lady Crouch," You greeted. "Mr. Crouch." You inclined your head to the youngest Crouch.

"Young Regulus, wasn't it?" Lady Crouch smiled at you, and you couldn't help but notice she looked a bit faint. "We met at the Malfoy's Yule Ball. How are your parents and brother?"

"Quite fine, thank you." You answered politely. "And yourself?"

"My family is in fairly good spirits and health." Lady Crouch answered. "Have I introduced my son, Barty, to you?"

Barty? You wondered. That must be his nickname.

"Bartimus Crouch Junior." Barty intoned, and he held out his hand. You shook it, and wondered his his hands were always that cold, even through the gloves.

"Regulus Black." You responded. "A pleasure."

"It's all mine."

.

* * *

.

You met a month later, at Lucius Malfoy's birthday party. It wasn't much of a birthday party, really, and you certainly hadn't heard it called such until Sirius had burst into your room nearly two years ago and announced that _muggles called it birthday parties_ and _wasn't that so interesting, Regulus? Birthday parties! What a strange name!_ But, when you arrived at the manor, most of your cousins and associates already sitting comfortably in the lounge, you found yourself settling down in the chair between your brother and Barty.

"Good afternoon, Bartimus." You inclined your head to him.

"Afternoon, Regulus." He replied, equally as civil, and you didn't speak to him until half an hour later.

"What house do you hope to be sorted in?" Barty turned and asked you, after he finished a conversation with Andromeda Black and you were tired of warding off attacks of elbow jabs by Sirius.

"Slytherin." You answered, not a beat later. "Yourself?"

"Ravenclaw." He smiled slightly, and you noticed his bottom teeth were slightly crooked, and you wondered why they hadn't been fixed yet. "I'm a raven in a snakes den."

"Is that bad?" You wondered. "Ravenclaw sounds interesting." You added on, politely.

He fiddled with his cuffs, and you had to bite your tongue to hold in Mother's familiar lecture- Don't ruin your clothes!

"It's not bad." He began. "I mean, it's a learning experience. I can hold my own in a snakes' court." His smile grew wider. You thought it made him look a bit crazy, not at all like his stern father, or like his sweet but sickly mother. "But I like to learn and I like knowledge."

"Not ambition or power?" You prompted, ignoring Sirius's attempts of footsie, although a tiny part of you wanted to join in.

"No." He shook his head. "I have ambition, and I like power, but I believe my love of learning and desire to being the most knowledgeable fuels the ambition and power. Do you understand?"

You did. "Yes." You nodded, and he flashed you a short smile of those crooked teeth.

"You're a nice guy, aren't you, Regulus?" He asked, and you merely shrugged lightly.

"I don't know." You answered blandly.

.

* * *

.

You met when you were young.

You didn't remember much of what happened next. Parties flew through your head. Somehow you ended up spending weeks with him at a time, discussing Hogwarts or politics or hey muggles are kind of strange aren't they?

It was a kind of friendship. Associate. You didn't know what to call him, considering you had never been close to anyone but Sirius.

"Hey, Regulus." Barty called out, sprawled out on the Crouch's lounge room couch. "You excited for Hogwarts?" Outside, the sky fell to dusk, and you absentmindedly knew you had to leave.

"Ecstatic." You remarked drily. "Absolutely spellbound."

He grinned at you, that grown-on-you crooked smile. "You're such a good friend, Regulus."

"I wouldn't know. I don't understand what's that's like."

He wrinkled his forehead. "You're an odd guy."

"That I understand."

"Give yourself more credit, Reg." He punched you in the shoulder, from where you were sitting stiffly behind him. "You're better then you think."

You felt a grin, similar to his own, make itself at home on your face. "Thank you."

.

* * *

 _ **.**_

 _ **yELLS INTO THE VOID**_

 _ **THIS IS SHIT. FUCKING SHIT. PIECE OF CCRAP NAD HELL ADN GOD ALLIE I AM SORRY.**_

 _ **I AM SORRY.**_

 _ **NEXT PIECE WILL BE BETTER I GUARANTEE THIS IS AWFUL. i don't know. this was supposed to be a dance au with like goodthings but it s like not it. i ahd no inspiration afte rtwo weeks. nad i wrote this inbetween madame patrolling the hallways. madame is terrifying allie. she's the reason i didn't take french.**_

 _ **i used spellbound. dusk. i don't understand.**_

 _ **i don't own hp.**_


End file.
